Well, Federer plays a more "classical" style of tennis (bigger serve, dominant forehand, one-handed backhand, aggressive), which harkens back to the days where faster surfaces were more dominant.

Nadal's style is different and Nadal himself is more radical, with his style of play, clothing, disposition, etc. He's much more relatable to younger fans than older ones.

Having said that, I'm on the younger side of posters here but love Federer's game. Other older fans here take to Nadal more favorably than Federer.

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I agree with your observation. I would also add that the younger ones love Nadal's athleticism and his energy and his "rebel" ways when he first came on the tour (pirate pants, sleeveless shirts, unorthodox forehand). Nadal is always fighting to the end, never giving up. The heart stopping shots he makes when on the dead run, his display of his emotions ("Vamos") and fist pumping excite the younger fans. Federer, on the other hand, plays tennis the way more mature tennis fans wish they could. Federer's effortless movement, picture perfect groundstroke technique, one handed backhand all appeal to an older crowd. The fact that he looks unperturbed on the court all the time is appealing to an older fan. (As an aside, when you watch slow motion film of Federer hitting any shot, his head is still and face is serene. Other players seem to be in snarling or contorting their faces.)

Of course there are no absolutes. There are plenty of older Rafa fans as well as younger Roger fans. A true tennis fan, may root for one over the other, but should respect the talent of both. We are lucky to be able to enjoy these two great talents competing at the same time.

Because Nadal has a winning H2H over Federer, has won the Career Golden Slam which Federer has not, is the only player who can be called GOAT due to his dominance on a surface, displays raw brutal earthy energy, exudes masculinity, is a Humbalito by nature, speaks in simple terms without sophisticated phrases, works hard for every point, and supports lower ranked players in getting them more money.

its because his physical style and mental approach to the game is easier to teach youngsters.So every coach at a club/ clinic always uses Nadal as an example and kids relate to that and hence like Nadal.
Federer's game is all rare natural talent and cannot be taught/ replicated

I agree with your observation. I would also add that the younger ones love Nadal's athleticism and his energy and his "rebel" ways when he first came on the tour (pirate pants, sleeveless shirts, unorthodox forehand). Nadal is always fighting to the end, never giving up. The heart stopping shots he makes when on the dead run, his display of his emotions ("Vamos") and fist pumping excite the younger fans. Federer, on the other hand, plays tennis the way more mature tennis fans wish they could. Federer's effortless movement, picture perfect groundstroke technique, one handed backhand all appeal to an older crowd. The fact that he looks unperturbed on the court all the time is appealing to an older fan. (As an aside, when you watch slow motion film of Federer hitting any shot, his head is still and face is serene. Other players seem to be in snarling or contorting their faces.)

Of course there are no absolutes. There are plenty of older Rafa fans as well as younger Roger fans. A true tennis fan, may root for one over the other, but should respect the talent of both. We are lucky to be able to enjoy these two great talents competing at the same time.

its because his physical style and mental approach to the game is easier to teach youngsters.So every coach at a club/ clinic always uses Nadal as an example and kids relate to that and hence like Nadal.
Federer's game is all rare natural talent and cannot be taught/ replicated

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They teach Nadal's never say die fighting spirit but they teach Federer's groundstrokes.

Times are changing. Coaches who used to use Sampras and Fed as examples are now using Nadal and Djokovic. Coaches who can't hit with a 2 handed BH are making ghost strokes trying to convince their students they can teach it. But every time a real ball shows up, they hit a 1 hander.

Hindsight bias. About 8 years ago when Fed burst onto the scene (and I was in my teens) every kid loved Fed (and Roddick, of course). Kid's just love whoever is more popular or most heavily marketed. They don't really think for themselves as often as they believe...

As an aside, my favorite player at the time was Marat Safin. So guess I missed the memo on who was cool.

It actually seems the other way around to me. Many of the Federer fans on this board seem to be teenagers or in college. Probably the appeal is based more on character traits and the things we admire about people, moreso than on groundstrokes.

It actually seems the other way around to me. Many of the Federer fans on this board seem to be teenagers or in college. Probably the appeal is based more on character traits and the things we admire about people, moreso than on groundstrokes.

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No, Nadal fans are younger kids who see Nadal as some kind of a superhero (they will see the truth about the cheater when they grow up). Tennis fans, the ones who actually play the sport, usually cheer for Federer.

Like they are into sagging shorts, Lifted trucks, wife beater sweaters, pimp hub caps...things like that.

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Ever seen a plumber? Definitely older dude with sagging shorts. I thought lifted trucks was a young guns thing until I moved to Vegas. There are so many retirees with huge trucks. I'm not sure what a wife beater sweater is and now that I think about it, I'm not sure what pimp hub caps are either.

I'm 25 and consider myself to be a part of the younger generation. I can appreciate Nadal but am by and far a Fed fan. I can see younger fans gravitating toward Nadal. His style is different, he wears the bright colors, and his game is more modern and a bit easier to emulate.

Nadal was marketed as a "rebel" by Nike with the sleeveless shirts and capris in contrast the already established classic image of his main rival, Roger Federer(who had already dumped his locks by 2005). Youngsters will automatically go towards anyone that looks like he challenges the establishment somewhat, or at least one that looks "cool". Of course those guys also need to be succesful, not just have a "cool" look.

Roger himself was made to look like a "rebel", not like Nadal, but through a campaign with other up and comers, with the message "younger,faster,stronger" and it's no coincidence that this "New balls please" campaign was made back in 2002 with players whose style would appeal to young people(and because they were young themselves).Roddick,Hewitt,Grosjean pose with their caps on backwards, Roger,Haas,Guga all have long hair.

In marketing, you're not selling their tennis, but their image. Sure, their tennis does matter in the overall image but only to an extent. Most kids couldn't tell you what types of strokes Nadal uses but they like the fact that he never gives up(heroics and all that). A lot of youngstersthat became Fed fans when he was coming up couldn't give you technical details about his game but they were amazed at the ease with which he could do certain things on court.

The main reason why youngsters today gravitate towards Nadal(and partly Djokovic, you will see) doesn't have to do with tennis but with the fact that they are young and succesful, something which they wish to be. They can identify more(and maybe seek to emulate) with the 24-25 year old succesful guys than with the past his prime 30 year old Fed(who has kids of his own).

Trust me, if Harrison or Raonic blow up big time, taking out big scalps along the way(preferably by winning slams), Nadal and Djokovic will be abandoned by the younger generation. As sad as it is, Nadal and Djokovic are the most succesful youngsters(or that still have a "young" image in marketing) that we have nowadays.

You guys got it all wrong... It's their women... The difference is night and day... No kiddo will drool over a motherly figure... Unless they are still in between the weaning process.

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Mirka is an extremely gorgeous woman with one of the prettiest faces in the history of tennis, even though she's put on weight, expected since she's a doting mother of two younglings. If she just drops some weight(not her top priority and understandably so) which isn't hard to do these days given all the advanced fitness techniques, she'd be a knockout.

Mirka is an extremely gorgeous woman with one of the prettiest faces in the history of tennis, even though she's put on weight, expected since she's a doting mother of two younglings. If she just drops some weight(not her top priority and understandably so) which isn't hard to do these days given all the advanced fitness techniques, she'd be a knockout.

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I don't have a problem with Mirka's weight but using the kids as an excuse is lame.
Even you say it's not that hard to get in shape (especially for a woman who could afford any fitness equipment and any kind of diet).
Imagine if every woman with kids would think like that...

Nadal was marketed as a "rebel" by Nike with the sleeveless shirts and capris in contrast the already established classic image of his main rival, Roger Federer(who had already dumped his locks by 2005). Youngsters will automatically go towards anyone that looks like he challenges the establishment somewhat, or at least one that looks "cool". Of course those guys also need to be succesful, not just have a "cool" look.

I don't have a problem with Mirka's weight but using the kids as an excuse is lame.
Even you say it's not that hard to get in shape (especially for a woman who could afford any fitness equipment and any kind of diet). Imagine if every woman with kids would think like that...

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Look lady, losing weight is easIER not EASY because you still have to go out and train even with the advanced training methods.
You can't just sit on your a** all day like some Nadalettes do here in that damn Ralph News Thread and yap yap yap about Ralph. So don't give me that pompous BS about how it's an excuse to workout for a doting mother of 2. Man, pretentious *******s get on my nerve sometimes.

Second, losing weight is not her top priority,heck it's not even a priority for her. Believe it or not for most housewives, there are issues that take higher priority apart from looking like a damn doll 24/7. I mean what are you like,12?As long as she's not obese/unhealthy which she's not, she's doing just fine. And many of her admirers(like myself) are totally fine with it because I love her face which is still pretty as ever. Unless ofcourse it gets badly disfigured/burnt, god forbid that never happens...

Third,you said you don't have a problem with Mirka's weight, yet you whined about it for an entire paragraph. Whatever, go play in the rain now or moonball in the practice courts.

I don't have a problem with Mirka's weight but using the kids as an excuse is lame.
Even you say it's not that hard to get in shape (especially for a woman who could afford any fitness equipment and any kind of diet).
Imagine if every woman with kids would think like that...

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You don't have how to understand, im sure you are not a mother...so why do you talk again?

I don't have a problem with Mirka's weight but using the kids as an excuse is lame.
Even you say it's not that hard to get in shape (especially for a woman who could afford any fitness equipment and any kind of diet).
Imagine if every woman with kids would think like that...

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And you are a young one too i suppose, when people get older they realize that looks are just not that important(or important at all)

Look lady, losing weight is easIER not EASY because you still have to go out and train even with the advanced training methods.
You can't just sit on your a** all day like some Nadalettes do here in that damn Ralph News Thread and yap yap yap about Ralph. So don't give me that pompous BS about how it's an excuse to workout for a doting mother of 2. Man, pretentious *******s get on my nerve sometimes.

Second, losing weight is not her top priority,heck it's not even a priority for her. Believe it or not for most housewives, there are issues that take higher priority apart from looking like a damn doll 24/7. I mean what are you like,12?As long as she's not obese/unhealthy which she's not, she's doing just fine. And many of her admirers(like myself) are totally fine with it because I love her face which is still pretty as ever. Unless ofcourse it gets badly disfigured/burnt, god forbid that never happens...

Third,you said you don't have a problem with Mirka's weight, yet you whined about it for an entire paragraph. Whatever, go play in the rain now or moonball in the practice courts.

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You said she would be a knockout if she would drop some weight, so you obviously think there is an issue. Otherwise, why even mention it? It was you who brought up this topic.
You can't expect people to judge her looks by imagining how she would look like if she were slim. That's not how things work, sadly.
Not that she cares. If she's got other priorities then it must be because she's happy with the way she looks.
As I said before, you can be a mother and work out, if you're interested in doing so. Being a mother is not an excuse.

You said she would be a knockout if she would drop some weight, so you obviously think there is an issue. Otherwise, why even mention it? It was you who brought up this topic.
You can't expect people to judge her looks by imagining how she would look like if she were slim. That's not how things work, sadly.
Not that she cares. If she's got other priorities then it must be because she's happy with the way she looks.
As I said before, you can be a mother and work out, if you're interested in doing so. Being a mother is not an excuse.

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What's up with this excuse? She was overweight even before the tweens, Did she say that beacuse of children she can not loose weight or some poster made it up?

Mirka is an extremely gorgeous woman with one of the prettiest faces in the history of tennis, even though she's put on weight, expected since she's a doting mother of two younglings. If she just drops some weight(not her top priority and understandably so) which isn't hard to do these days given all the advanced fitness techniques, she'd be a knockout.